DAS gaining in variety of segments

Connectivity demands are skyrocketing across a variety of sectors, leading to an unusual market dynamic in which investments on large-scale networking projects are becoming essential. In many cases, distributed antenna systems end up playing a key role in this process because they allow organizations to establish far-reaching wireless functionality that can extend over an entire building or campus.

According to a recent Cabling Installation & Maintenance magazine report, DAS architectures are rising in a diverse range of market segments as more organizations look for large-scale wireless connectivity options.

DAS gaining steam
A DAS is used to establish radio signal over a certain geographic range, and the technology has proven essential as mobile device use has expanded. Speaking as part of a DAS-focused webinar, industry expertPaul Kopera explained that rising bandwidth requirements are driving DAS deployment. Cabling Installation & Maintenance reported that Koperatold audiences that the early efforts to build out DAS architectures were aimed at expanding voice functionality for the small group of mobile users that would need it between home and the office. This demand has changed considerably in recent years.

"Fast forward to today and wireless penetration exceeds 100 percent in the United States," said Kopera, according to the news source. "We have an expectation as consumers that we'll have coverage in any building, anywhere, at any time."

With demand for mobile bandwidth rising many businesses are considering their own investments into DAS solutions that will enable them to establish robust wireless capabilities to keep up with everyday operational requirements.At the same event, industry expert Richard Baldasarre explained that the reason why the DAS is being installed will have a major impact on how an organization goes about choosing and deploying a specific solution, Cabling Installation & Maintenance reported. There is a huge difference between installing a system to support mission-critical services and implementing a solution for convenience.

Establishing DAS solutions
Building a DAS architecture for a building hinges on being able to sufficiently support high-bandwidth backhaul functionality. Mobile users can push a great deal of data through DAS-based networks and organizations often need fiber-optic cabling in place to provide backhaul. This results in an environment in which fiber to Ethernet media converters are essential for integrating the backhaul with the Ethernet-based systems that are used within an actual DAS.

Perle has an extensive range of Managed and Unmanaged Fiber Media Converters to extended copper-based Ethernet equipment over a fiber optic link, multimode to multimode and multimode to single mode fiber up to 160km.